Across Canada, youth mental health concerns are rising at an alarming pace. An estimated one in five Canadian children and youth will experience a mental health disorder, and research shows that nearly 70 per cent of mental health challenges begin before the age of 18.
In recent national surveys, increasing numbers of young people report feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or struggling with their emotional wellbeing, yet many families face long waitlists or barriers to care. These realities underscore a critical truth: early, accessible mental-health support is not optional—it is essential when it comes to long-term outcomes for children and families.
Just as important as early intervention, is the way the support is delivered. Increasingly, evidence points to digital and remote models as effective, equitable, and essential to meeting families where they are.
For more than two decades, Strongest Families Institute (SFI) has been at the forefront of this work, translating research into practical, skill-building programs that support families in real time.
Why Early Intervention Matters
Childhood is a critical window for emotional, behavioural, and social development. Research across psychology, pediatrics, and public health shows that unaddressed mental-health challenges in early childhood and adolescence are associated with increased risk of long-term difficulties, including academic struggles, relationship challenges, and ongoing mental-health concerns into adulthood.
Conversely, early intervention is associated with improved emotional regulation and coping skills, better family functioning and reduced caregiver stress, stronger school engagement and peer relationships, and a reduced need for more intensive services later.
The Canadian Paediatric Society notes that fewer than one in five children who need mental-health support receive appropriate care, often due to access barriers such as waitlists, geography, cost, or lack of referral pathways. When families cannot access timely support, challenges often escalate, increasing strain on both families and health systems.
Early, preventative approaches are not only more effective, but they are also more sustainable.
Skill-Building Works Because It Addresses the Root
Decades of research support behavioural and cognitive-behavioural approaches as first-line interventions for common childhood challenges such as anxiety, disruptive behaviour, and sleep difficulties.
Skill-building programs focus on strengthening caregiver confidence and consistency, teaching children practical emotional-regulation and coping skills, establishing predictable routines and expectations, and reinforcing positive behaviour rather than reacting to crises.
These approaches work because they are active, practical, and embedded in daily life. Families are not just receiving information, they are practicing skills, receiving feedback, and building confidence over time.
SFI research has consistently shown that families using coached, skill-based programs experience meaningful improvements within 8–12 weeks, with gains maintained at long-term follow-up. Importantly, improvements are seen not only in children’s behaviour or anxiety, but also in caregiver stress, confidence, and family relationships.
Digital Mental Health: Evidence Has Caught Up with Innovation
Digital mental health was once viewed as a stopgap or secondary option. Today, a growing body of research shows that remote, digitally delivered mental-health interventions can be as effective as in-person care for many childhood and family challenges.
Studies conducted before and after the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated that remote interventions reduce geographic and transportation barriers making families more likely to engage with and complete programs. The outcomes for anxiety, behaviour, and parenting confidence are comparable to in-person program delivery as well.
For families in rural, remote, and Northern communities—as well as those balancing work, childcare, or caregiving responsibilities—digital access is not a only convenience, it’s a necessity.
SFI’s telephone-coached model, supported by IRIS technology and a stepped-care approach, was designed specifically to address these realities. Families receive the right level of support at the right time, with flexibility built in.
Looking Ahead
As demand for mental-health support continues to rise, the evidence is clear: early, accessible, skill-based intervention must be a cornerstone of care.
Digital mental health is no longer an alternative. It is a proven, effective pathway to reach families sooner, reduce barriers, and create lasting change.
Strongest Families Institute remains committed to advancing this work through research, innovation, and partnership, ensuring that every family, regardless of location or circumstance, can access the support they need, when they need it.
Sources
- Canadian Paediatric Society
Promoting Optimal Mental Health Outcomes for Children and Youth
https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/promoting-optimal-mental-health-outcomes-for-children-and-youth - World Health Organization (WHO)
Guidelines on Mental Health at Work and Early Intervention
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052 - Harvard Center on the Developing Child
InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-the-science-of-early-childhood-development/ - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development in Children and Youth
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25201 - Grist, R. et al. (2019).
Mental health interventions delivered remotely to children and adolescents: A systematic review
Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(6).
https://www.jmir.org/2019/6/e12340/ - Ebert, D. et al. (2018).
The effectiveness of internet- and mobile-based psychological interventions
World Psychiatry, 17(3), 312–324.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6127768/ - Strongest Families Institute
Peer-reviewed outcome studies and internal program evaluations (various).